Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to implantable medical devices, and more particularly, to implantable medical devices including at least one polymeric film layer made from a mixture of glycerol and a biopolymer.
Background of Related Art
A variety of medical conditions may be treated, at least in part, by implanting a medical device into the body of an afflicted patient. Medical devices may be implanted into the body temporarily or left in the body for extended periods of time, even indefinitely. For example, a surgical mesh may be made from non-biodegradable materials and may be implanted into the abdomen of a patient to repair any type of hernia. The mesh may be either placed over the defect (anterior repair) or under the defect (posterior repair).
In another example, an implantable film made from a bioabsorbable material may be combined with another medical device for delivery of a therapeutic agent. However, these films may include any number of optional ingredients. For instance, viscosity enhancers, emulsifiers, pH modifiers and the like may be added as optional ingredients to the films to enhance the durability of the device and/or alter the delivery characteristics of a therapeutic agent. Typically, optional ingredients represent up to about 10% by weight of the device. In many instances, higher concentrations of optional ingredients may provide detrimental effects to the films overall characteristics. For instance, the addition of a plasticizer in concentrations higher than about 10% often make the film too flexible to be useful as an implantable film.
It would be beneficial to provide an implantable film, alone or in combination with a medical device, capable of providing immediate or sustained release of a therapeutic agent following implantation without compromising the overall characteristics of the films.